Spirit-level



3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

J. o. HUTTON] SPIRIT LEVEL.

N0. 885,518. Patented July 3, 1888.,

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS '(No Model.) y 3 sheets -sheet 2.

J. U. BUTTON.

SPIRIT LEVEL.

No. 385,516. Patentefl July 3, 1888 III ATTORNEYS (No Model.) 3 sheets -sheet' 3. J. 0. mm.

SPIRIT LEVEL. I

No. 385,516. Patenteol July 3}, 1888 ATTORNEY.

' UNITED ST TES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES C. HU'I'TON,OF CORVALLIS, OREGON, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALFTO PATRICKJ. MCELROY, 'OF EAS'I CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

SPIRIT-LEVEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 385,516, dated July 3, 1888.

\v Application filed February 28, 18%. Serial No. 265,554. (Ho model.)

To aZZ whom it 12mg concern.- I

Beit known that I, JAMES C. HUTTON, of

Corvallis, in the connty of Benton andState of Oregon,have invented a new and useful Improvementin Spirit Levels and Plurnbs, of

and the further object of the invention is to 15 provide a setting for the vial, wherein the same will be absolutely protected against hard usage.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to he had to the'aceompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar figures of reference indicate corresponding partsin all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a level having the vials set in the ends; Fig. 2, an elevation of the parts detached. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 40 w of Fig. 1, and Figs. 4 and 5 are elevations of the vials-employed. Fig. 6 is a perspective View of a lnodified form of. level, the vial being centrally placed. Figs. 7 and 8 are elevations of detached parts. Fig. 9 is a central'vertieal section of Fig. 6, and Fig. 10 an elevation of the vials. Figs. 11 and 12 are detail views of further modifications.

In carrying out, the invention the ends of the main frame lO aredividcd into two sections, Hand 12, the section 12 being detachable. In the fixed section 11 a circular recess, 13, is produced, a segment of which is counter sunk. 'In the compound recess thus produced a bed of plaster-of-paris is prepared to receive a vial-case, 15. The vial'ease is circular in contour and divided into two equal sections, each section'bcingprovided with a segmental depression, 16, a central aperture for a pivotal screw, and slots 17 and 18, one above'the other, below the pivotal aperture, as illustrated to ing set in the aforesaid recess 13 a bed of the right in Fig. 2. Priorto the vial-case becement is prepared in the segmental concavity in the inner face of the case-sections formed by the depression 16, and, the vial 23 being placed in thebed. of one section, the two concavities are made to register. The sections are then screwed together. 7

The vial-case when placed in the frame-recess 13 is held therein by a pivotahserew, 19, and the case is thereupon revolved until the vial is properly positioned between the plumb and, level marksa and b. When so placed, the degrees are marked upon the surface intervening the said points in'any approved manner, as shown in Fig.1. In order to'insure the fixture of the vial-case in its recess a screw, 20, is entered through the slot 18.

Thedetachable section 12 of the frame is providcdmpon its innerface with an annular recess, 21, of a circumference equalto the cir-- cumference of the recess 13 in the fixed section, and centrally within said recess 21, as

shown to the left in Fig. 2, a projection, 22, is

produced adapted to bear against the vialcase, a similar projection having been. produeed-in the recess 13.

. In the recess 21 and in the recess 13 a plaster-of-paris bed is provided, and to complete the construction of the level the detachable section 12 is placed in position upon the-fixed section, the plaster-of-paris surrounding the vial-case. Thusit will be observed that the vial is doubly embedded in the plaster-ofparis, whereby a strong, durable, and immovable setting is obtained.

As illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, the vials may be somewhat varied in shape-as,forinstance, the vials illustrated are of the same size and length,which is alittle more than aquarter of a circle-'thc difference consisting in that the vial shown in Fig. 4 is a true circleits entire length,and the vial illustrated in Fig. 5a true circle for on] y a quarter ofits length.

The detachable section is secured to the main frame in any suitable manner, and as an additional safeguard a screw, 24, is passed through the section 12 and slot 17 in the vialcase into the frame proper. It will be under,

stood that that portion of the vial-case and frame above the vial is cut away to permit the latter to be readily seen. The frames may be of wood or metal orany desirable material.

By reason of the construction above set forth any degree of inclination can be obtained as readily as a plumb or level. To obviate the inconvenience of having to turn a level end for end when used in connectionwith different work, as would be necessitated in the above construction, I provide a means for locating the vial centrally the instrum'ent, which vial may be read upon either side. To that end I illustrate in Fig. Gene of the proposed forms,which is preferably made of metal. Centrally and integral with the base an upwardly-extending vertical frame section, 26, is cast or otherwise formed, segmental in contour, and provided upon the inner face with a recess, 27, extending parallel with the sides and top, and centrally and longitudinally the base, upon the upper side, a rib, 28, of any preferred style of construction, is provided, extending from each side of the frame-section outward, as illustrated in Fig. 6. The vial-case 29 is also segmental in contour and-divided into two-equal sections, 30 and 31, as shown in Fig. 8, each of which sections is provided upon its inner face with a marginal semicircular depression, 32, in which the semicircular vial 33 is adapted to rest, each of the said depressions being provided with a bed of plaster-of-paris, in which the vial is laid.

When the two sections of the case are united by screws suitably placed, the vial will be held embedded in the plaster, and the inner contiguous edges of the sections, upon which degrees are produced, are so spaced as to ad-. mit of the vial being readily seen. In the surface of the sections slots 35 are cut, through which screws may be entered in order that the parts may be shifted slightly to bring the head in the proper position and be so held until firmly united. The vial-case having been placed properly together, it is laid upon abed of cementin the frame-section 26,the depression in the case fitting into the recess in the frame-section. To complete the frame, a detachable frame-section, 34, similarly recessed uponits inner face to the fixed frame-section, after receiving a bed of plaster-of-paris, is brought in contact with the exposed surface of the vial-case, and the two frame-sections, likewise the frame and vial-case, are held together in. any well-known or approved .manner, the upper side contiguous edges of the frame-sections being so spaced as to render the vial and degrees readily discernible. The vials used in this construction may differ somewhatin contour. For instance,

as shown in Fig. 10, they may prescribe a true half-circle or be made more or less of horseshoe form. In this form of level, no inatter what the inclination or how the instrument is placed, the degrees may be readily observed and the bead seen.

tion upon the wood the rims will meet centrally the edge. The rim is cast integral with the plates 40,which are made as thin as practicable and provided with apertured lugs 41, adapted to receive the binding-screws uniting the sections. The plates 40 are let into the wooden body of the level flush with the sides, which bod y,as heretofore stated,is protected at the ends by the rims orflanges 37. One plate 40 isstrengthenedbylugs41,intowhichlngsothcr binding-screws are entered, having been passed through the corresponding apertures, 42, of the opposing plate. In one corner of each plate a recess, 42, is sunk, adapted to receive the vial-case 43, the detached sections of which are illustrated in Fig. 12. In the said recess the plates are provided with an aperture, 43",

to receive a screw binding the plates and vialcases together. The slot 44 in'the vial-case is pnrposed to receive a fixing-screw,when the several vial-case sections have been adjusted, to hold them properly in the recess of the plate. I

The dotted lines 45 to the rightin Fig. 11 illustrate the position of the vial, and the dotted lines 46 in the same figure illustrate the recessed portions of the wooden body, the other edges whereof extend full to the rim or flange. r g

' The vial 23 is illustrated as secured in "a plaster bed in the right-hand section of Fig. 12. When adjusting the vial-case sections in proper position, a screw is temporarily passed through theapertnres 43 and 43, and when the proper adjustment is found the sections of the vial-case are permanently united by passing screws through apertures 47 therein. The final adjusting-screw being entered through the slots 44, the temporary screw is now removed, theplaster placed in the recess of the plates, and all bound together by a main screw, as aforesaid, passing through the apertures 43 and 43".

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a spirit-level, the combination, with a sectional frame having recesses in the contiguous faces and a cement bed laid in said recesses, of a vial-case provided with a vial cemented therein, held between the said frame- "sections in contact with the cement bed, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a spirit-level, the combination, with a sectional frame having recesses in the contiguous faces and a cement bed laid in said recesses, of a sectional vial-case having aligning depressed surfaces provided with a cement bed, a segmental vial held in said bed, and

means for retaining the vial-case in contact between the frame-sections, as and for the purwith the cement bed of the frame-sections, snbpose set forth. stantinlly as shown and described.

3. In a spirit-level, the combination, with JAMES BUTTON 5 nsectional frame, of a via1-case,a segmental Witnesses:

vial cemented in said case, and means,=substan- S. N. WILKINS,

tially as described, for cementing the vial-case I S. T. J EFFREYS. 

